Although this blog is meant primarily for Atlantans, I have to give credit where it’s due.  And oh, brother, is it due in Charleston, SC, where White Tuxedo Productions recently brought down the house with its production of “Rent.”

I’d tell you to run out and purchase tickets for your upcoming summer vacays, but the show had a short run that ended in mid-February.  I was one of the lucky few to catch it sweep through the city like the whirlwind that “Rent” is: dancing, singing, loving, humping, writhing, and beating like a big bass drum the whole way through.

Now, full disclosure: I took the weekend trip to Atlanta’s sister city to see my friend Rori Nogee perform as Maureen.  Friendship aside (because I wouldn’t let it taint my opinion of theater), Rori must descend from her steel table to claim her rightful crown among the Maureens of Broadway fame.  You can’t beat talent like this, folks.  She sang as though her life would end any moment, laughed from her toes through her dreads, and absolutely brought the house down.

But I’m not suggesting that Rori and her beautiful ass stole the show alone.  The amazing cast was chock-full of undiscovered New York talent just waiting to be plucked for Broadway.  Scottie McLaughlin as Collins made even the hard-hearted cry during his reprise of “I’ll Cover You,” while Jennifer Fogarty’s “Out Tonight” could turn a straight girl gay.  Every member of the cast sang with passion, enthusiasm, and a genuine love for their craft, and this kind of performance is what live entertainment is all about.

I won’t go into the plot of “Rent,” because many have tried to (and most have failed at) explaining its intricacies without the show sounding like one big teary show about AIDS with an overriding message of love (aw, shucks).

To understand “Rent,” one must experience it for oneself, from its highs (oh, its many highs) to its gut-wrenching lows.  A decade-bridging classic, “Rent” isn’t just for the freaks who stagedoor.  It’s for the artist in all of us.

Kudos to the Charleston cast for staying true to its beauty, power, and magic.